Archive for May, 2016

Of all the tourism angling/fishing products Ireland has to offer coarse fishing has the greatest potential to provide a serious return on investment, primarily because Ireland’s coarse fishing species to include pike are not exploited commercially for food and are therefore in waters where they reside abundant and growing to a large average size. The downside to this major selling point is ease of access to Ireland’s best coarse fishing swims while carrying the amount of tackle and bait necessary to enjoy a productive match or pleasure fishing session.

The image above clearly shows the amount of gear an average coarse angler brings to the water, much more than can be carried without the aid of a pack horse. The best swims are never those that are immediately accessible from say car parks or bridges, most requiring a trudge along forest paths or over fields and ditches. Many out of the way prime swims though can be accessed by enabling managed vehicular access through upgrading/modifying existing rough tracks and walk ways.

Thomas and I fished an out of the way section of the River Barrow yesterday and boy was access to the swim difficult and the return leg to my car a not looked forward to experience. Yes we caught some prime roach to a pound plus and hybrids to 3.5 lbs, however and we are fit, when the towpath was reached we set up shop, being too knackered to go any further.

Having co-authored and driven with Dick Caplice chairman of the Irish Anglers Development Alliance the hugely successful managed vehicular access coarse fishing infrastructure on Lough Muckno, Co. Monaghan and presented an adapted plan to modify sections of towpath along the River Barrow for managed vehicular access back in 2014 to Tourism, Enterprise and Co. Council decision makers in Co. Carlow with zero response it begs the question. When it comes to developing an innovative and commercially viable tourism product has official Ireland employed the best people available………………….?

A fine fish in great nick of between three and four pounds, the sense of achievement after all these years fishing still kicks in when all the planning, travelling and effort comes together post landing a targeted species. A third bream of the day banked, one each also for angling companion Thomas and neighbouring coarse angler Cathal, two more were brought ashore before we upped sticks around 17.00.pm.

It was good to touch base with Thomas who like many coarse anglers has a passion for catching big dustbin lid sized slimy bream. Although bream dog it out rather than running when hooked, their resistance allied to their bronzed largeness makes for an impressive sight when resting in the landing net before unhooking. In this instance Thomas, Cathal and I were feeder fishing maggot and worm to catch alongside the bream a succession of dace, roach, trout interspersed with an odd hybrid.

April, May and early June are great months to target bream on the lower River Barrow, bring lots of ground bait as a bream shoal will hoover up a prepared swim and move on similar to a herd of cattle munching on fresh grass. On this occasion not having pre-baited Thomas and I relied only on what our feeders attracted, a brace each of quality bream made our day. Until the next time………..